This invention generally pertains to sailing craft and more particularly to a novel rotating configuration for a sailboat mainsail and to propulsion means working in conjunction therewith for auxiliary power to move the boat in a particular desired direction irrespective of the direction from which the wind is blowing.
Configurations for sailing craft have not changed much as pertaining to masted sailing configurations, there being numerous and various types of single and multiple masted craft depending upon the size and type of hull structure. Typically, sailing craft have carried fabric sails on vertical masts, which sails are of a substantially triangular shape with the vertex of the triangle being carried aloft and positioned at the top of the mast. A horizontal boom, mounted for rotation about the vertical mast, extends the sail outwardly from the mast so as to present the most effective sail configuration to the wind and thus drive the boat before the wind at its most efficient form for a particular wind velocity and direction. All such type sailing craft, because of the mast/sail configuration and vagaries of the wind, must therefor strike a zig-zag course to reach a particular destination. "Tacking" is the well known and understood zig-zag sailing technique practiced by sailors since time immemorial inasmuch as such craft cannot sail a straight line course between two fixed points. As a matter of fact it is well known that sailing craft cannot sail to within 45 degrees, more or less, of the direction from which true wind is blowing. Except then, for the 45 degrees on either side of what is termed "the eye of the wind" a well-designed and modern sailing sloop can sail in any direction.
It is therefor one aspect of the present invention to provide a sailboat mainsail configuration that obviates the requirement to "tack" when wind conditions are unfavorable.
It is a further aspect of the invention to provide a propulsion means for sailboats that works in conjunction with a wind driven mainsail such that any type sailing craft may be driven further into the wind than has herebefore been possible.